Ticktum reflects on a breakout season with Cupra Kiro

Dan Ticktum hit his stride in Season 11 of Formula E. After three years of struggle with the former NIO and ERT team, the outfit – now known as Cupra Kiro – entered the season with fresh investment, along with its fresh identity, and Porsche power.

The end result was more points finishes in the one campaign than he'd had in the previous three combined, as well as his first podium in Tokyo, a first win three races later in Jakarta, and a first pole in the season finale, too. All admirable achievements, but there’s another big takeaway from this season for Ticktum.

“I've enjoyed it,” Ticktum tells RACER. “I haven't enjoyed a racing season for quite a long time, to be honest, so that's probably the best thing. I think being happy is quite important in terms of the rate of improvement over the year. And finally, being in a competitive car is also a great feeling. So yeah, it's quite positive for change.”

Ticktum’s talent is undeniable. While a lot of focus is often placed on his past and his off-track persona, the Briton is a stellar racing driver. For the first time since he entered Formula E in 2021, he’s been able to show that on more than one occasion.

A big part of that was the customer Porsche powertrain in the back of his car. As the powertrain that took Pascal Wehrlein to the Season 10 title, a step forward was bound to come after years of toiling in-house developed ones, and once he and the Kiro team got to grips with it, Ticktum says the season delivered on expectations.

“[It was] about as I expected, to be honest,” he says. “I knew we’d struggle a bit more at the beginning of the year. I was a bit underwhelmed at the start – I think we really struggled – so I was a bit frustrated at the beginning of the year, but as the years progressed, I think we pretty much reached the potential of our package.

“On most occasions, the results don't sometimes come because it's Formula E and the races are mental. But I think the team are doing their job well, I think I'm doing the job, and we're not as strong as the factory Porsche or the Nissan, but I think on our day, we can beat all those. It's a car that, if I have a good year next year, it could be in the top five.”

While the frenetic nature of races makes judging just by results difficult, Ticktum thinks he and Cupra Kiro demonstrated their progress this season. Joe Portlock/Getty Images

With Formula E’s regulations running in two-year cycles, Ticktum and Kiro will be running the same package next year. While the powertrain – which differs from the one run by the factory Porsche and the Andretti teams, being the previous generation of the German brand’s technology – is closer to the peak of its development curve than others, Ticktum still feels there is more for the team to deliver.

“There's very subtle differences between us and the factory Porsche,” he explains. “Some tracks it makes a bit more of a difference than others, but we have a very strong car, there's no doubt. I think we're sort of reaching the top of the curve now, I think there's a less rate of improvement. I think in the last few races, pace and understanding of the car, we've sort of maximized it in many senses, but there's always obviously improvement.

“We just need to hit the ground running next year. And I think the target's got to be top five. It's going to be tough with the Nissan around and the factory Porsche, but let's see. There's going to be some driver changes as well in those teams, they might struggle a bit. I think it's a good opportunity next year to really tackle it.

“Everything happens in two years with the regulations, so we have to have the same car as well this year for next year. So I'm not complaining. Obviously, now I've had some good results.”

Ticktum’s performances in the season that wrapped up last weekend has led to him being linked with a move to a factory team, despite having a contract for next season with Kiro. While he admits a move for GEN4 could be an option, he says where he is right now is an ideal environment for him.

“I do want to be in a car that I feel I can turn up every weekend and I can win,” he says. “I think we're not far off that with our car, to be honest. So it's a lot better than where I have been. I really enjoy the environment of the team.”

Despite a strong season, Ticktum's campaign didn't end as he had hoped. A top-four result in qualifying for the first race of the weekend translated into a crash in the race while attempting to pass Sam Bird. And on Sunday, a maiden pole was converted to sixth on the grid as a result of a separate incident with Mitch Evans, and further penalties led to him being classified 14th – the two none-scores dropping him out of the top 10 in the points.

The London ExCeL venue is on borrowed time, but Ticktum feels Formula E needs to stay with its city center roots. Andrew Ferraro/Getty Images

It aligned with his pre-race comments of him not believing in the fallacy of a home soil boost, but he does appreciate the uniqueness of London’s all-indoor paddock and mostly-indoor track.

“Everyone always asks, does it give you an extra boost? Well, no, not in terms of performance, but it is a nice atmosphere here, quite an intimate venue,” he says. “Everyone close inside. It's cool, so it’ll be a shame when it goes off the calendar after next year.”

The track at the ExCeL exhibition center is polarizing, with its tight nature always delivering chaotic races. But as Ticktum says, its days are numbered, with next season set to be the last before a mooted move to either Brands Hatch or Silverstone for the much quicker and more capable GEN4 in 2027.

“We need to be on street circuits,” Ticktum counters when the topic of the next UK Formula E venue is broached. “Brands is a fantastic circuit, especially for GEN4, but I think you have to wait until battery technology is at a point where we it has enough energy density where we can keep the cars relatively light, have a load of power – which is probably a decade away, maybe a bit less – and then we can be as fast as F1.

“Then I think it makes sense to go to more permanent tracks. But at the moment, with the ethos of the championship, I think street circuits and being in city centers is cool, so I'd like to see more city centers. It costs a lot – we're sort of moving the tracks slightly out of cities.”

But with a move outside of London seemingly an open-and-shut case at this point, does Ticktum have any ideas?

“I hope we can be in the center of London," he says. "I actually drew a track down Park Lane to Buckingham Palace, so that'd be cool.”

Well, you never know what the future could hold…